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Wanted: CEO to Manage Growth

Can BHP Billiton Build on Commodity Boom's Heady Gains?

By

Alex Wilson and

Patrick Barta

Updated Feb. 8, 2007 12:01 a.m. ET

Charles "Chip" Goodyear could prove a tough act to follow.

The BHP Billiton chief executive, 49 years old, yesterday said he plans to retire at the end of this year, capping a tenure at the Australian mining and oil giant marked by surging profits amid a world-wide boom in commodities. Underscoring the flush times, Mr. Goodyear also unveiled a 41% rise in fiscal-first-half net income and a $10 billion share buyback that...